Support for the Countries and Peoples of Latin America in their Struggle to Safeguard National Independence and State Sovereignty

2004/05/17

During the 1970s, the political situation of the
countries in Latin America and the Carribean underwent
significant changes. On 1 February 1971, Premier Zhou Enlai
of the Chinese State Council attended a reception given by
Mr. Garcia, Charge dAffaires ad interim of the Cuban
Embassy in China. Touching on the situation in Latin
America, Premier Zhou said: The situation in the 70s is very
different from that of the 60s.The struggle in Latin America
to opposed imperialism and for national independence has
made marked progress and a breakthrough has been brought
about; the beacon of this struggle has brought light to the
whole Western Hemisphere. At the banquet to welcome Mexican
president Echeveria on his visit to China, Premier zhou
remarked that Latin America is emerging on the world arena
with a new stance and that the struggle of the Latin
American countries and people to defend their national
independence and state sovereignty has gained deeper and
more extensive development. The strengthening of contacts
and unity among the Latin American countries and the
strengthening of contacts and unity between the Latin
American countries and the Asian and African countries are
playing an increasingly important role in international
affairs.

China and the countries of
Latin America and the Carribean Sea are all developing
countries. China actively supports the Latin American
countries in their struggles to safeguard national
independence, state sovereignty and national resources,
develop national economy, oppose foreign interference,
oppose hegemonism and for the establishment of a new
international economic order.

China has
always been concerned and rendered support to the struggle
of the Panamanian people in their just struggles. In January
1964 at the height of the Panamanian peoples patriotic
struggle against the United States, Chairman Mao Zedong
remarked on January 12 in which he expressed firm support to
their just action in seeking to regain sovereignty over the
Panama Canal Zone. In March 1973 at the U.N. Security
Councils meeting on Panama, the Chinese representative
Huang Hua reiterated that the Chinese Government
completely understood and deeply sympathized with and
supported the unrelenting efforts of the Panamanian
Government and people to regain sovereignty over the Panama
Canal.

In the mid 60s, Latin American
countries initiated the establishment of a Latin American
Nuclear Free Zone and fervently hoped that China support the
relevant treaties and accede to the relevant protocals. On
14 November 1972, Foreign Minister Ji Pengfei issued a
statement on behalf of the Chinese government in which he
pointed out that the Chinese Government respected and
supported the just proposal of the Latin American countries
to establish a Latin American nuclear-free zone, agreed to
the contents of the number two protocal of the Latin
American Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,
undertook that China will never use or threat to use
nuclear weapon against Latin American non-nuclear states or
nuclear-free zones, nor will it tests, manufacture, produce,
stockpile, assemble or deploy nuclear weapons in these
countries or regions or to allow nuclear weapons means of
delivery to pass through the territories, airspace or waters
of the Latin American countries. On 21 August 1973, the
Chinese Government representative, Chinese Ambassador to
Mexico Hsiung Xianghui signed the number two protocal annex
of the Latin America Treaty on the prohibition of Nuclear
Weapons. At the same time, the Chinese Government issued a
statement in which it declared respect and support to the
just proposal of the Latin American countries on the
establishment of a Latin America Nuclear-Free Zone aimed at
opposing the nuclear threat and nuclear blackmail of the
super-powers and safeguarding the peace and security of
Latin America. It reiterated that the Chinese government
stands ready to continue making unremitting efforts together
with the Latin American countries and all the peace-loving
countries of the world for the realization of the great goal
of complete prohibition and total destruction of nuclear
weapons throughout the world.

The
struggle initiated by Latin American countries in the 1970s
to safeguard the maritime rights of 200 nautical miles
gathered greater momentum. China has all along supported the
position of the third world countries in this
struggle to defend the national economic interests of the
countries in that region and to oppose maritime hegemonism.
As early as September 1971, Premier Zhou Enlai pointed out
in his written answer to question raised by the Peruvian
journalist Torre that the struggle of the Latin American
countries and peoples to defend their maritime rights of 200
nautical miles is a just one. Countries of Latin America
have the right to decide on the width and sphere of
jurisdiction of its territorial waters in the light of the
specific conditions and needs of each country as well as the
right to control its maritime resources. This is the
sovereignty right of a country. The neighboring littoral
countries may on the basis of equality and mutual benefit
and mutual respect for each others sovereignty,
demarcate the limits of their territorial waters through
consultations and no other country should interfere or
infringe upon their rights.

At the 28th
Session of the U.N. General Assembly held on 2 October 1973,
Chairman of the Government Delegation of the Peoples
Republic of China Qiao Guanhua once again elaborated the
position of the Chinese Government. He said that the medium
and small countries are unfurling a struggle of great
dimension in opposing the maritime hegemonism of the
super-powers centering on the question of maritime rights.
The struggle to oppose maritime hegemonism is an important
aspect of the developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin
America to safeguard their national resources and develop
their national economy and also a new focal point in the
current struggle against hegemonism. So long as medium and
small countries seek common ground and put aside their
differences, unite and persist in making unrelenting and
protracted efforts, the struggle to oppose maritime
hegemonism will certainly triumph. In March 1975, the Third
Session of the U.N. 3rd conference on the law of the Sea was
held in Geneva. The Chinese Delegation deliberated actively
at the session, unite with the countries of the third world
and support their reasonable demand in safeguarding their
national maritime rights.

In 1974, the
6th Special Session of the U.N. General Assembly was held
and the Declaration on the Establishment of a new
International Economic Order and the Programme
of Action was adopted. The Chinese Government highly
assessed and supported these two documents. The Chinese
Government Delegation led by Vice-Premier Deng Xiaoping,
attended this session and made an important speech in which
he elaborated on the necessity of restructuring the old and
unequal international economic order and explicitly proposed
the establishment of a new international economic order. He
said that the economic lifelines of many Asian, African and
Latin American countries were still subjected to control to
different extent by colonialism and imperialism after they
have gained their political independence and the old
economic structure has not been changed fundamentally. The
plunder and exploitation by colonialism, imperialism
especially the super-powers have made the poor countries
even poorer and the rich becoming even richer and the gap
between the poor and the rich countries is becoming wider.
Countries of the third world strongly demand a change in
such extremely unequal international economic relations and
many fair and reasonable proposals for reform have been
advanced. The Chinese Government and the Chinese people
warmly endorse and firmly support all the just proposals
advanced by countries of the third world.